W. Somerset Maugham Quotes

We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person.

W. Somerset Maugham

Love Happy Anniversary Chance Changed Changing Continue Last Nor Person Persons Same Those To Love Year

It is salutary to train oneself to be no more affected by censure than by praise.

W. Somerset Maugham

Praise More Train Than Affected Censure Oneself Salutary

Imagination grows by exercise, and contrary to common belief, is more powerful in the mature than in the young.

W. Somerset Maugham

Imagination Mature More Exercise Belief Common Common Belief Contrary Grows Powerful Young Than

When you choose your friends, don't be short-changed by choosing personality over character.

W. Somerset Maugham

Friendship Personality You Character Choose Choosing Friends Over Your

The most useful thing about a principle is that it can always be sacrificed to expediency.

W. Somerset Maugham

Always About Most Thing Expediency Principle Sacrificed Useful Useful Thing

Love is only a dirty trick played on us to achieve continuation of the species.

W. Somerset Maugham

Love Love Is Only Achieve Us Continuation Dirty Played Species Trick

A man marries to have a home, but also because he doesn't want to be bothered with sex and all that sort of thing.

W. Somerset Maugham

Man Home Sex Want Also Bothered Sort Because He Thing

The ability to quote is a serviceable substitute for wit.

W. Somerset Maugham

Ability Wit Quote Substitute Serviceable

Excess on occasion is exhilarating. It prevents moderation from acquiring the deadening effect of a habit.

W. Somerset Maugham

Habit Moderation Excess Effect Acquiring Exhilarating Occasion Prevents

It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.

W. Somerset Maugham

Life Funny Best You Accept Funny Thing Often Refuse About Anything Get Thing Very

There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.

W. Somerset Maugham

Writing Rules Three Knows Novel Unfortunately No-One

The love that lasts longest is the love that is never returned.

W. Somerset Maugham

Love Never Longest Lasts Returned

In Hollywood, the women are all peaches. It makes one long for an apple occasionally.

W. Somerset Maugham

Women Long Apple Hollywood Makes Occasionally Peaches Women Are

If you want to eat well in England, eat three breakfasts.

W. Somerset Maugham

You Food Want Three Eat England Well

Writing is the supreme solace.

W. Somerset Maugham

Communication Writing Solace Supreme

The crown of literature is poetry.

W. Somerset Maugham

Poetry Crown Literature

The writer of prose can only step aside when the poet passes.

W. Somerset Maugham

Step Only Poet Prose Aside Passes Writer

It is unsafe to take your reader for more of a fool than he is.

W. Somerset Maugham

Fool Your More He Reader Unsafe Take Than

Money is the string with which a sardonic destiny directs the motions of its puppets.

W. Somerset Maugham

Money Destiny Puppets Which Motions String

Have common sense and stick to the point.

W. Somerset Maugham

Common Sense Sense Stick Point Common

It is not true that suffering ennobles the character; happiness does that sometimes, but suffering for the most part, makes men petty and vindictive.

W. Somerset Maugham

Happiness Character Men Suffering Makes Part Petty Sometimes True Vindictive Does Most

The essence of the beautiful is unity in variety.

W. Somerset Maugham

Beautiful Unity Essence Variety

The great American novel has not only already been written, it has already been rejected.

W. Somerset Maugham

Great Only American Been Great American Novel Rejected Written

If you don't change your beliefs, your life will be like this forever. Is that good news?

W. Somerset Maugham

Life Good Change You Beliefs Forever Good News News Like Will Your

I would sooner read a time-table or a catalogue than nothing at all. They are much more entertaining than half the novels that are written.

W. Somerset Maugham

Nothing More Half Than Catalogue Entertaining Novels Read Sooner Written Much Would

Death is a very dull, dreary affair, and my advice to you is to have nothing whatsoever to do with it.

W. Somerset Maugham

Death You Advice Nothing Affair Dreary Dull Whatsoever Very

Tolerance is another word for indifference.

W. Somerset Maugham

Tolerance Indifference Another Word

It was such a lovely day I thought it a pity to get up.

W. Somerset Maugham

Day Up Pity Get Lovely Thought

The world in general doesn't know what to make of originality; it is startled out of its comfortable habits of thought, and its first reaction is one of anger.

W. Somerset Maugham

Anger World Know First Comfortable General Habits Originality Reaction Startled Thought Make Out

Perfection has one grave defect: it is apt to be dull.

W. Somerset Maugham

Perfection Grave Dull Apt Defect

Few misfortunes can befall a boy which bring worse consequence than to have a really affectionate mother.

W. Somerset Maugham

Mother Boy Worse Than Affectionate Befall Bring Consequence Few Misfortunes Really Which

An unfortunate thing about this world is that the good habits are much easier to give up than the bad ones.

W. Somerset Maugham

Good World Bad About Bad Ones Easier Good Habits Habits Unfortunate Give Much Than Thing Up

Marriage is a very good thing, but I think it's a mistake to make a habit out of it.

W. Somerset Maugham

Good Marriage Mistake Think Good Thing Habit I Think Make Out Thing Very

Every production of an artist should be the expression of an adventure of his soul.

W. Somerset Maugham

Art Soul Artist Expression Adventure Production Every His Should

It is not wealth one asks for, but just enough to preserve one's dignity, to work unhampered, to be generous, frank and independent.

W. Somerset Maugham

Work Enough Wealth Dignity Ask Frank Generous Independence Independent Preserve Just

If a nation values anything more than freedom, it will lose its freedom, and the irony of it is that if it is comfort or money that it values more, it will lose that too.

W. Somerset Maugham

Freedom Money Lose Nation Comfort Irony Values Anything More Than Too Will

Impropriety is the soul of wit.

W. Somerset Maugham

Humor Soul Wit

It wasn't until late in life that I discovered how easy it is to say, 'I don't know.'

W. Somerset Maugham

Life Late Know Say Discovered Easy Until How

People ask for criticism, but they only want praise.

W. Somerset Maugham

People Praise Only Want Ask Criticism

It is an illusion that youth is happy, an illusion of those who have lost it.

W. Somerset Maugham

Happy Youth Who Illusion Lost Those

Beauty is an ecstasy; it is as simple as hunger. There is really nothing to be said about it. It is like the perfume of a rose: you can smell it and that is all.

W. Somerset Maugham

Beauty You Simple Nothing Ecstasy Hunger Perfume Rose Said Smell About Like Really

We know our friends by their defects rather than by their merits.

W. Somerset Maugham

Know Friends Our Than Defects Merits Rather

The artist produces for the liberation of his soul. It is his nature to create as it is the nature of water to run down the hill.

W. Somerset Maugham

Nature Art Soul Water Artist Create Down Hill Liberation Produces Run His

You can do anything in this world if you are prepared to take the consequences.

W. Somerset Maugham

You World Anything Consequences Prepared Take

W. Somerset Maugham Quotes

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